Krishna Mehta

Indian eponymous fashion brand Krishna Mehta was launched in 1988 and is acclaimed for its understated collections made using indigenous textile craft and techniques. A celebration of the nation's rich textile craft.. the brand has witnessed an accelerated growth over the years both in India and overseas and is present all over India, North America and parts of Europe.

Indian eponymous fashion brand Krishna Mehta was launched in 1988 and is acclaimed for its classic understated elegance. The brand has witnessed an accelerated growth over the years both in India and overseas and is present all over India, North America and parts of Europe.

Krishna Mehta collections celebrate the eternal love story of art and craft. "I've always been obsessed with fabrics, colours and textures" she explains in a note on her official website. The fashion designer has always been a champion of hand craftsmanship and ethical production with an artisanal legacy spanning forty years. “So many skills of different artisans, art mediums and minds treating the subject with a vivid energy on a handloom, with a block, a brush, or a needle and thread, with their simple traditional techniques, with their own perspective, come together adding to the purity and power to bring the collections to life!”

Since its inception the brand has promoted Indian culture by blending it with contemporary fashion- be it prêt or haute couture. Per Pernia's Pop-Up: "The timeless craftsmanship matched by innovation has been a key principle at the house of Krishna Mehta's print and craft legacy. Living in times of dynamic potential and promising opportunities, the brand aims towards achieving phenomenal breakthroughs."

Krishna Mehta's production process is simple. Per the official website: ‘Traditional Indian textiles are used in a very modern way. Being sourced from the best; brocades from Varanasi, jamdanis from Bengal, tussars from Bhagalpur and silk mals from Maheshwar, these fabrics produce a symphony of meticulously treated silhouettes.’ This is followed by dying using tried and tested methods like single color dyeing- shade dying- Ombre effect or shibori.. all tried over hundreds of samples to determine the perfect method for the final garment.

Handblock printing is used extensively in the collections. Using hand carved wooden blocks by artisans from Farukhabad.. Krishna Mehta's designs and motifs are molded and combined to create traditional as well as contemporary designs. Discharge or Pigment Dyes are sometimes used to bind these designs with the fabrics. Lastly the tied, dyed or textured fabric is either hand embroidered or machine embroidered. 

The fashion designer has always believed in giving back and works with the differently-abled. She has taken a course in communicating with them at a young age and in 2014 the collection was block-printed and texturized by the children of SPJ Sadhana School and the young individuals of Om Creations. Through these organizations, Krishna Mehta achieved her dream of empowering the differently abled. 

Palanpur-based Palak was a dream that Krishna Mehta strived to make into a reality. She started by posting an advertisement in all the local newspapers for the hearing and speech impaired to come in for an interview if they were interested in learning the art of handblock printing and quilting.. dying and other textiles processes.

Per the official website: "Everyone who tried to block print and managed to keep a steady hand- no matter the time it took to complete the task- were grouped together. All the skilled women who could stitch were taught how to quilt and were also grouped together… She aimed to provide these individuals with consistent work… This organization was later dissolved but still remains a beacon of hope and a plan that may be realised in the future."

Krishna Mehta believes in going back by recruiting the differently abled, teaching them textile crafts and techniques, and providing them with a sustained livelihood.

Indian fashion brand Krishna Mehta's style transcends the traditional and the trendy.. combining different patterns and colours in an impressionist aesthetic. Subsequently the collections are a collaboration with artists, hand embroiders, dyers, block printers and weavers coming together with a spontaneous inventive approach to design. 

Indian luxury fashion brand Krishna Mehta retails luxury pret and haute couture for men and women. Mehta's balance between her signature style and regional textile tradition always leads us on an intellectual journey. For Spring Summer 2013 - one of her best till date - the showing opened with a flute recital followed by folk music as models showcased garments handcrafted from hand-woven tribal weaves in silk, wool and tweed. The designer maintained an architect's eye for detail, precision and no-holds-barred approach to classic glamour i.e. saris with ornate waistcoats, embroidered woven cropped tops worn over wide pants and cotton lehengas with four-button kurtis. There were stylish options for men too particularly hand embroidered silk kurtas and printed lungis with solid color waistcoats.